If your child was injured due to an adult’s actions in Lake Charles, LA, you can pursue full compensation. Contact an experienced Lake Charles child injury lawyer at Hale Injury Lawyers today at (337) 426-1071 to help you understand your legal options.
You’re probably feeling overwhelmed if your child was seriously hurt. Our lawyers work hard to hold negligent parties accountable for their actions. We’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for our efforts.
We’re ready to put over 61 years of combined experience in personal injury law to work in your case. Contact our law offices in Lake Charles, Louisiana to schedule a free consultation today.
How Hale Injury Lawyers Can Help Your Family Recover Compensation if Your Child Was Injured in Lake Charles, LA
As a parent, you’ve done everything possible to protect your child. It can be devastating when another adult is careless and causes an injury.
Unfortunately, insurance companies and negligent people rarely step up to take responsibility–even when the victim is a child. They might even try to blame your child.
An experienced Lake Charles personal injury attorney at Hale Injury Lawyers will help you fight for justice. Over the years, we’ve been recognized as Super Lawyers, the Top Trial Lawyers in America, and the Top Lawyers in Acadiana.
We’ll do everything in our power to get the most compensation possible, including:
- Investigating to determine who is responsible for your child’s injuries
- Calculating the value of your family’s losses
- Rejecting lowball insurance offers
- Hiring experts who can testify about your case value
- Negotiating with the insurance companies and defense teams for a full settlement
Our Lake Charles personal injury lawyers are known for winning at trial. If the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we’ll take your case before a judge and jury. We’re ready to get started today, so contact us for your free case evaluation right away.
Holding an Adult Responsible for Your Child’s Injuries in Louisiana
Children don’t appreciate risks in the same way as adults. Children also don’t always fully understand the potential consequences of their actions.
That’s why we put adults in charge. It’s up to responsible adults to ensure that children aren’t exposed to unreasonable dangers and risks. It’s also up to supervising adults to keep kids out of trouble. When responsible adults are negligent, children are much more likely to suffer injuries.
Generally speaking, you can hold an adult legally liable for your child’s injuries if:
- They owed your child a legal duty of care
- They breached the duty through some act or omission
- The breach of duty directly caused your child to suffer some type of harm
- Your family suffered damages as a result
In Louisiana, any adult who was responsible for your child’s care can be held financially accountable when they ignore their duties and your child is hurt because of it.
Our Lawyers in Lake Charles Handle All Types of Child Injury Claims
Children are susceptible to a wide range of injuries. The injuries they suffer in an accident depend on many factors, including the nature of the accident, their age, and their size.
Our lawyers often represent injured children and their families in cases involving:
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Facial injuries
- Dislocations
- Soft tissue injuries
- Concussions
- Whiplash injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries and brain damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Joint injuries
- Birth injuries
- Organ damage and internal bleeding
- Amputations and loss of limbs
- Paralysis or loss of motor function
The most severe childhood injuries have the potential to be catastrophic. If you lost your child in a tragic accident, count on our wrongful death lawyers in Lake Charles to fight for you. We’ll do everything in our power to help your family get justice.
Who Can Be Held Financially Responsible for My Child’s Injuries?
Any adult who has a duty to keep your child safe can be held legally responsible for your family’s losses.
Examples of potentially responsible parties include:
- Schools and school districts
- Daycare centers
- Teachers and teacher’s aides
- Bus drivers
- Third-party drivers
- Sports coaches
- Property owners
- Dog owners
- Summer camp operators
- Childcare services
- Doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals
- Members of the clergy
- Organizations like the Boy Scouts
- Manufacturers of defective children’s toys and products
The identity of the responsible party will depend on the circumstances of your child’s accident and injury.
Childhood Injuries Can Create Serious Long-Term Consequences
Injuries that occur during childhood can cause many different types of long-term consequences. Some of those consequences can haunt a child well into adulthood. Some injuries result in permanent disabilities.
Examples include:
- Loss of mobility
- Developmental delays
- Cognitive impairments
- Learning disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Chronic pain
- PTSD and fear
- Difficulties in social situations
- Loss of a normal childhood
Severe and traumatic childhood injuries can have a significant impact on your child’s educational opportunities and future work prospects. You can count on our lawyers to carefully consider these impacts when we assess your case value.
What Causes Most Child Injuries in Lake Charles?
Children can be injured in any way doing virtually anything. That said, some activities are more likely to cause injury than others.
At Hale Injury Lawyers, we handle all types of child injury cases, including those involving:
- Car accidents and other motor vehicle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dangerous property conditions
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Sports accidents
- School bus accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Boating accidents
- Accidents involving recreational vehicles
- Playground accidents
- Dog bites and attacks
- Defective products
- Choking
- Food poisoning
- Exposure to toxic substances
- Medical malpractice and birth injuries
- Intentional physical assault
- Sexual abuse
If your child was injured and you want to know whether you have a valid claim for compensation, call our law firm in Lake Charles today. We offer a free case review so you can learn about your legal rights without any obligation or risk.
How Much is My Lake Charles Child Injury Case Worth?
Childhood injuries can completely change the course of your child’s life if they’re severe enough. You’re entitled to compensation for all of your current losses, but you’re also entitled to compensation for anticipated future losses.
Because the consequences can last for decades, it’s critical to make sure your personal injury case is properly valued. Otherwise, your family could be on the hook for damages.
Important factors include:
- Your child’s age at the time of injury
- The nature of the injury
- Whether your doctors expect your child to suffer any long-term impairment
- Your medical treatment costs
- Whether your child will need ongoing rehabilitation, medical care, or assistance
- The emotional and mental trauma your child has experienced
- Whether the injury and trauma will impact your child’s ability to earn a living
- How your earnings have been impacted due to the need to care for your child
- The circumstances of the injury and the nature of the at-fault party’s actions
It’s important to work with an attorney who has access to experts who can help prove the value of your losses. While that’s true in every personal injury case, it’s especially true in child injury cases where future losses can play a large role in the value of your case.
What Compensation Can I Recover By Filing a Claim After My Child Was Injured in Lake Charles, Louisiana?
Under Louisiana personal injury laws, your family can seek compensation for all economic damages associated with the injury.
That may include:
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation and therapies
- Counseling
- Lost wages
- Future medical expenses
- Your child’s diminished future earning capacity
- Lost educational opportunities
- Long-term care
You can also seek compensation for your non-economic damages, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of a normal childhood
- Mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD
If the defendant’s acts were especially shocking or intentional, your family may also be entitled to punitive damages to punish the defendant for their actions.
How Long Do I Have to File a Child Injury Lawsuit in Louisiana?
The statute of limitations in Louisiana is only two years. Most personal injury victims have two years from the date of their injury to file a lawsuit. After two year passes, the right to sue for damages disappears.
Childhood injury claims are a bit different. As a parent, you have the right to file a lawsuit on behalf of your child. Your two-year clock starts to run on the date of your child’s injury.
However, if you don’t sue for damages, your child also has the right to seek compensation. The two-year statute of limitations then starts to run on your child’s 18th birthday–regardless of your child’s age on the date of the injury.
Contact a Trusted Lake Charles Child Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Residents of Lake Charles have trusted Hale Injury Lawyers to handle their legal issues for decades. We’re ready to fight for every dollar your family deserves. If your child was injured, call for a free case review with a Lake Charles child injury attorney today at (337) 426-1071.
